With Santorum out, Romney still faces distractions from Gingrich, Paul

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum’s surprise withdrawal from the GOP Presidential sweepstakes Tuesday leaves the road more or less clear for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to wrap up the nomination by June.

Newt Gingrich: Broke but still in it (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

But Romney is not home free. Backbenchers Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul remain in the race and while neither has a chance of winning the nomination both can still be a distraction for the frontrunner as he attempts to hone his campaign strategy for the only real obstacle to his quest for the White House: Current President Barrack Obama.

Most polls show Romney losing to Obama in a head-to-head matchup and Romney needs all his focus on the incumbent President to have any chance of winning in November.

Gingrich and Paul have other ideas. Both claim to be the only real alternatives to both Romney and Obama.

The former speaker of the House calls his campaign “the last stand for conservatives,” but while Gingrich is broke and his campaign is out of steam. A Gingrich campaign check for $500 – the fee for getting on the Utah primary ballot – bounced and while Newt promises to make the check good it hadn’t happened by close of business Tuesday.

Ron Paul: Still following the money (AFP Photo/Jewel Samad)

Paul claims he is “the last and real conservative alternative” left in the race but he lags far behind even the faltering Gingrich and has no mathematical chance of securing enough delegates to either win the nomination or keep Romney from getting the numbers he needs to close the deal.

Yet both Gingrich and Paul vow to remain in the race. Unlike Gingrich, Paul hoards his campaign cash. He traditionally finishes his string of unsuccessful runs for the Presidency with a sizable amount of cash left over and then moves the cash into his foundations that are – in reality – slush funds for him and his family.

“Ron Paul is in it for the money,” GOP strategist Jan Black told Capitol Hill Blue Tuesday. “Newt Gingrich remains to feed his ego. That’s all he has left. His money is gone and his campaign is finished.

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A GOP strategist saying that “Ron Paul is in it for the money” is merely an opinion based on how Paul hoards his cash. Jan Black isn’t privy to Paul’s inner motivations. Ego usually trumps cash.

I think that Gingrich and Paul are both remaining in the race primarily because it feeds their egos. After the convention they will be out of the public eye. Look to each publishing books and jostling to appear frequently on Fox News to promote them and thus feel they are still relevant.

Look also to one or both trying to snare contracts to be Fox News regulars, or to get syndicated radio shows.

I think it Ron Paul calls himself a conservative because it is both more palitable and more understandable to the majority of conservatives. From everything I can tell, Paul is a libertarian. Obviously there are not only differences, but inherent conflicts between the two schools of political thought.

Hal, I have known Ron Paul for many years and he has a dream of “liberty” within his own agenda that reflects in his followers. The more our government grows in power over the people, the more our young voters either cave in to the safety nets, or they shake it off and go with the individual responsibilities of living outside the great pink cloud of safety.

The old agenda of “sink or swim” is no longer possible in America as our generations are raised in front of a television making class work academics more difficult for them.

Most Americans believe that the dream they had as children for success, money, a nice home and obedient children is far more difficult today than ever in our history.

Our government has a very different plan for all Americans. This plan is mandated by the people for a false security of an unattainable safety net for all Americans. This calls for sacrificing our freedoms for security. There are thousands of volumes in the library on this subject and the history of government intrusion and the results of this power can be found if only the people would read.

Darwin have us the history of our being advanced humans through natural selection of fitness but where is the result of our being top of the chart?

Ron Paul used to stand tall for Americans who have taken academics seriously and wants all the bells and whistles that go along with an individual who understands their value. Paul hones his personal agenda and appeals to many of us who do not trust the government that bows only to who feeds the trough.

Paul’s mistake was having him run as a Republican. He is not a popular candidate but he does not deserve the labels of greed and ego. His respect for the individual is shunned all over the internet and certainly kicked in the arse at CHB.

It is bigger than politics. We still stand behind the Ron Paul who speaks for individual values.

There will always be individuals who seek the power of the individual over the mass of the government. Many of us realize that we should have started earlier just as the Birch Society started pushing religion after WW2. Many are shocked at their success.

Americans are now sheep avoiding any possible plan to make us individuals with developed brains of our own. Man like Ron Paul carry our banner. However, his son has taken a step into religion which disqualifies him for leadership. The Tea Party is a joke.

I realize that America is in a terrible mess and with the majority of voters demanding socialism in their retirement and health coverage, the battle for individual values is running down.

people may be surprised when ron paul gets closer to the number of delegates needed than most give him credit for and if romney is acting as if he has won the nomination he stands the chance of screwing up between now and the convention and since paul is not spending every dollar he brings in then he will be the only one in the fight with a fighting chance to go into the convention and come out with the nomination
paul would be better off if he would have spent a bit more in virginia romney and paul were the only 2 that were able to get on the ballot and with pauls name against romney’s a victory would have said alot but it is what it is but dont count the man out especially if romney screws up or people wake up one or the other